Seek

• POS: Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Seek, a. 

 Sick.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

Seek, v. t. [OE. seken, AS. sēcan, sēcean; akin to OS. sōkian, LG. söken, D. zoeken, OHG. suohhan, G. suchen, Icel. sækja, Sw. söka, Dan. söge, Goth. sōkjan, and E. sake. Cf. Beseech, Ransack, Sagacious, Sake, Soc.].

•  To go in search of; to look for; to search for; to try to find.  [1913 Webster]

  "The man saked him, saying, What seekest thou? And he said, I seek my brethren."  [1913 Webster]
•  To inquire for; to ask for; to solicit; to beseech.  [1913 Webster]

  "Others, tempting him, sought of him a sign."  [1913 Webster]
•  To try to acquire or gain; to strive after; to aim at; as, to seek wealth or fame; to seek one's life.  [1913 Webster]
•  To try to reach or come to; to go to; to resort to.  [1913 Webster]

  "Seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal."  [1913 Webster]

  "Since great Ulysses sought the Phrygian plains."  [1913 Webster]

Seek, v. i. 

 To make search or inquiry; to endeavor to make discovery.  [1913 Webster]
"Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read."  [1913 Webster]
"To seek
Upon a man and do his soul unrest."  [1913 Webster]

To seek, needing to seek or search; hence, unprepared. “Unpracticed, unprepared, and still to seek.” Milton. [Obs.] -- To seek after, to make pursuit of; to attempt to find or take. -- To seek for, to endeavor to find. -- To seek to, to apply to; to resort to; to court. [Obs.] “All the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom.” 1 Kings x. 24. -- To seek upon, to make strict inquiry after; to follow up; to persecute. [Obs.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Seek, v. (past and past part. sought)
1 a tr. make a search or inquiry for. b intr. (foll. by for, after) make a search or inquiry.
2 tr. a try or want to find or get. b ask for; request (sought help from him; seeks my aid).
3 tr. (foll. by to + infin.) endeavour or try.
4 tr. make for or resort to (a place or person, for advice, health, etc.) (sought his bed; sought a fortune-teller; sought the shore).
5 tr. archaic aim at, attempt.
6 intr. (foll. by to) archaic resort.

Idiom

seek dead an order to a retriever to find killed game. seek out
1 search for and find.
2 single out for companionship, etc. sought-after much in demand; generally desired or courted. to seek (or much to seek or far to seek) deficient, lacking, or not yet found (the reason is not far to seek; an efficient leader is yet to seek).

Derivative

seeker n. (also in comb.).

Etymology

OE secan f. Gmc

THESAURUS

Seek

address, aim, angle for, ask for, aspire, be after, be curious, be determined, beat about for, beg, bid for, burn with curiosity, canvass, cast about, chase, chivy, court, delve, delve for, demand, dig, dig around for, dig for, dig up, dog, endeavor, essay, ferret out, fish, fish for, follow, follow up, gape, gawk, give chase, go after, go gunning for, gun for, hollo after, hope, hound, hunt, hunt for, hunt up, inquire, interrogate, invite, labor, look, look for, look up, make after, mouse, nose, nose around for, nose out, peer, pop the question, prosecute, prowl after, pursue, query, quest, quest after, question, quiz, raise the hunt, request, resolve, root, rubber, rubberneck, run after, search, search for, search out, see to, seek for, seek out, smell, solicit, stare, still-hunt, strain, strive, struggle, study, sue, sue for, sweat, sweat blood, take out after, try, try to find, undertake, want to know, woo

ROGET THESAURUS

Seek

Pursuit

VB pursue, prosecute, follow, run after, make after, be after, hunt after, prowl after, shadow, carry on, engage in, set about, endeavor, court, seek, aim at, follow the trail, fish for, press on, run a race, chase, give chase, course, dog, hunt, hound, tread on the heels, follow on the heels of, rush upon, rush headlong, ride full tilt at, run full tilt at, make a leap at, jump at, snatch at run down, start game, tread a path, take a course, hold a course, shape one's steps, direct one's steps, bend one's steps, course, play a game, fight one's way, elbow one's way, follow up, take to, take up, go in for, ride one's hobby.

Offer

VB offer, proffer, present, tender, bid, propose, move, make a motion, make advances, start, invite, hold out, place in one's way, put forward, hawk about, offer for sale, press, lay at one's feet, offer oneself, present oneself, volunteer, come forward, be a candidate, stand for, bid for, seek, be at one's service, go a begging, bribe.

Request

VB request, ask, beg, crave, sue, pray, petition, solicit, invite, pop the question, make bold to ask, beg leave, beg a boon, apply to, call to, put to, call upon, call for, make a request, address a request, prefer a request, put up a request, make a prayer, address a prayer, prefer a prayer, put up a prayer, make a petition, address a petition, prefer a petition, put up a petition, make application, make a requisition, ask trouble, ask one for, claim, offer up prayers, whistle for, beg hard, entreat, beseech, plead, supplicate, implore, conjure, adjure, obtest, cry to, kneel to, appeal to, invoke, evoke, impetrate, imprecate, ply, press, urge, beset, importune, dun, tax, clamor for, cry aloud, cry for help, fall on one's knees, throw oneself at the feet of, come down on one's marrowbones, beg from door to door, send the hat round, go a begging, mendicate, mump, cadge, beg one's bread, dance attendance on, besiege, knock at the door, bespeak, canvass, tout, make interest, court, seek, bid for, publish the banns.

Inquiry

VB make inquiry, inquire, ask, seek, search, look for, look about for, look out for, scan, reconnoiter, explore, sound, rummage, ransack, pry, peer, look round, look over, go over, look through, go through, spy, overhaul, ask about, inquire about, scratch the head, slap the forehead, look into every hole and corner, peer into every hole and corner, pry into every hole and corner, nose, trace up, search out, hunt down, hunt out, fish out, ferret out, unearth, leave no stone unturned, seek a clue, seek a clew, hunt, track, trail, mouse, dodge, trace, follow the trail, follow the scent, pursue, beat up one's quarters, fish for, feel for, investigate, take up an inquiry, institute an inquiry, pursue an inquiry, follow up an inquiry, conduct an inquiry, carry on an inquiry, carry out an inquiry, prosecute an inquiry, look at, look into, preexamine, discuss, canvass, agitate, examine, study, consider, calculate, dip into, dive into, delve into, go deep into, make sure of, probe, sound, fathom, probe to the bottom, probe to the quick, scrutinize, analyze, anatomize, dissect, parse, resolve, sift, winnow, view in all its phases, try in all its phases, thresh out, bring in question, bring into question, subject to examination, put to the proof, audit, tax, pass in review, take into consideration, take counsel, question, demand, put the question, pop the question, propose the question, propound the question, moot the question, start the question, raise the question, stir the question, suggest the question, put forth the question, ventilate the question, grapple with the question, go into a question, question, put to the question, interrogate, pump, subject to interrogation, subject to examination, cross-question, cross-examine, press for an answer, give the third degree, put to the inquisition, dodge, catechize, require an answer, pick the brains of, suck the brains of, feel the pulse, get the lay of the land, see how the wind is blowing, put one's ear to the ground, be in question, undergo examination.